Subs Speak Out on Sopranos

Feedback from Home Box Office subscribers about The
Sopranos, while not conducted scientifically, does come in to the premium service.
That's because HBO has created a Sopranos area on its Web site (www.hbo.com/sopranos).

That Web area has 22 message boards, which have tallied
more than 27,000 responses. A posting by Multichannel News about the series and
whether it had prompted people to sign up for or keep HBO solicited a handful of
responses.

Deb Tener of Columbus, Ohio, said she saw The Sopranos while
staying at a hotel, and she liked it so much that she subscribed to HBO when she got home.

Sue Rudner, who lives in Schaumburg, Ill., said the only
reason why she keeps her HBO subscription is because of the premium network's
original series, including The Sopranos, Tracey Takes On and The
Larry Sanders Show when it was on the air.

"By far, The Sopranos is the best of the
bunch," Rudner said. "It is worth whatever we might have to pay to keep enjoying
this incredible show."

According to Rudner, "HBO and the other cable outfits
are no doubt the reasons why viewers are turning away in droves from network fare. After
you've seen shows like Oz, Sex in the City and The Sopranos,
everything else pales in comparison. It's the intelligent viewer's
alternative."

A Bloomfield, N.J., woman cited The Sopranos as the
only reason why she is continuing her HBO subscription. "Although I rarely watch HBO
anymore, I think The Sopranos is so outstanding that I am willing to keep HBO just
so I can have access to this show," said the woman, who identified herself as Janet.